Scott McCorvie is the CEO of Vita Senior Living. He brings two decades of experience in senior living investment and operations and is extremely passionate about enhancing the senior living industry. More info - https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottmccorvie/Seniors Junction is a Burlington, Ontario based startup, formed to prevent seniors isolation, ma…

Lewis (Lou) Poloniatio is a retired businessman in GTA. His serious leisure pursuits include biking, bridge and tennis.Seniors Junction is a Burlington, Ontario based startup, formed to prevent seniors isolation, mainly by offering 8-week (one session a week) online courses, taught live, by experts. We believe in purposeful and learning-oriented re…

Paula Banno is an innovative leader and Director of Lifestyle at a large senior community in the US. We discuss with her how meaning and purpose need to be incorporated in the recreation activities in senior living. Seniors Junction is a Burlington, Ontario-based startup, formed to prevent retirement isolation and loneliness, mainly by offering lec…

Jaya Sonkar MD MPH is a rheumatologist, geriatrician, and internist based in Cypress Texas. She is the founder and president of JSR Heath (http://jsrhealth.com/). She is UTMB Galveston Alumna, New York Medical College Alumna and Harvard Alumna. Link for today's discussion - https://drive.google.com/file/d/17DXjEequHfhljelyeMCnVVQbvaj_2F8y/view?usp=…

Kathleen Vipond is a retired music teacher. After teaching high school, she has directed choirs, worked with charities, and participated in clubs. She teaches a low-impact aerobics class and she plays bridge seriously.Seniors Junction is a Burlington, Ontario based startup, formed to prevent seniors isolation, mainly by offering 8-week (one session…

Jean-François Pinsonnault lives in Maxville, Ontario. He is an Organizational Development practitioner, mediator, consultant, and coach with 45+ years of experience. The horrific impact of COVID-19 on residents of long-term care and assisted living facilities in Canada prompted Jean-François Pinsonnault to do something tangible to help. His new boo…

Our guest today is Jane Kuepfer, Schlegel Specialist in Spirituality and Aging, Spiritual Care Provider and Registered Psychotherapist. Her research areas are: Spirituality & Aging, spiritual care in residential care, spiritual resources, baby boomersMore info - https://uwaterloo.ca/grebel/people-profiles/jane-kuepferTo get latest podcast updates s…

Ron Baecker is Professor Emeritus in Computer Science from University of Toronto. He is the founder of Technologies for Aging Gracefully lab (TAG Lab), a world-class laboratory dedicated toward research for the journey through life. TAGlab works at the intersection of aging and technology, seeking to identify and address common issues of aging wher…

Our guest today is Anna Hall, Founder of The Purpose Equation®. She believes that purpose is your reason to rise. Older adults are her purpose teachers. 20+ years in the senior living world, plus lots of research and experimentation with engagement frameworks, has gifted her perspectives on time and meaning. This is what inspired creation of the Pu…

Elana Kieffer is the Acting Director, Center for Healthy Aging at The New York Academy of Medicine. She is a values-driven professional with content expertise in aging services and nearly 15 years of experience in policymaking, healthcare innovation, affordable housing, database management, strategic planning, and operations management. She oversee…

Abbie Richie is Tech Guru & CEO of Senior Savvy, Host of Tech Tuesday on Foresight TV. Senior Savvy specializes in providing one-on-one technical support and workshops for seniors. They relieve tech stress for seniors,so they can excel in today’s world. More info - https://www.seniorsavvy.net/About UsSeniors Junction is a lifelong learning company …

Dr. Deborah Morgan is a senior research officer in the Centre for Innovative Ageing. Her main research interests are loneliness and social isolation in later life. She sits on the Welsh Government Loneliness and Social Isolation Strategy Board, and is an advisory board member for the Public health Network Cymru. Deborah’s research has led to severa…

Ruta Pai is Engagement Director at Providence House Senior Living. She has a masters in clinical mental health therapy with dance/movement therapy. She shares with us how they are using engagement strategies to involve shut-in seniors after two years of COVID-19 restrictions. More info - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruta-pai-37788a97/To get latest p…

Our guest today is Scott Smith, National Director of Resident Programming at Five Star Senior Living. He is passionate about engaging older adults and doing things differently in senior living. He is a thought leader and advocate for older adults and for the use of technology in providing a person directed engagement experience. He has worked with …

Our guest today is Shana Anderson. She is a piano teacher based in Ottawa and has a Masters in Musicology from uOttawa.To get latest podcast updates subscribe to our newsletter - https://seniorsjunction.comHosts - Namrata Bagaria, Paul MerkleyMusic - Aaron ShandilyaVideo Production - Namrata BagariaAbout UsSeniors Junction is a lifelong learning co…

Deepak Saini is a performance coach. He helps busy executives and entrepreneurs become high performers and maximize health, longevity and performance. He also offers a year long master class to help individuals create their personal Bluezone and be the best version of themselves. More info - https://www.deepaksainihealth.com/To get latest podcast u…

Our guests today are John E. Johnson, a retired lawyer, and Sabby Duthie, a former retirement-home owner. Their book, "Elder Abuse: You Have a Role to Play" is first-of-its-kind book undertakes the uncomfortable conversation that so many are unwilling to have — that elder abuse is widespread and very real. More info - https://www.amazon.ca/Elder-Ab…

Debbie Howard is Author, Speaker, Podcaster, Founder of Aging Matters International & TheCaregivingJourney.com. She is a former long distance and live-in family caregiver, who moved back to South Carolina when her Mom was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer, from Tokyo (where she had been living and working).About UsSeniors Junction is a lifelong le…

Joe Pohlen, Founder and Partner of Cardinal Senior Management has prospected and built a portfolio of multifamily, student housing and self-storage in West Michigan for the last 9 years. Cardinal Senior Management (CSM) is a regional operator of assisted living and personal care communities on the east coast. More info - https://cardinalseniormgmt.…

Our guest today is Professor Denise Connelly, BScPT, MSc, PhD. She is Associate Dean (Graduate and Postdoctoral Programs), Faculty of Health Sciences. We discuss how COVID-19 has impacted the way we address care teams for older adults and how family members and Registered Practical Nurses (RPNs) have a vital role to play. Read more - https://ltccov…

Dr. Anna Garnett is an Assistant Professor at the Arthur Labatt Family School of Nursing at Western University, Ontario. She is a registered nurse and her research interests include, older adults and their caregivers, Chronic disease management, Physical activity and aging, interdisciplinary approaches to chronic disease management, digital health …

Our guest today is Dr. Kate Dupuis. Kate received her Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Toronto. She completed her postdoctoral fellowship in the Neuropsychology and Cognitive Health and Hearing Services programs at Baycrest, and is a registered Clinical Neuropsychologist with the College of Psychologists of Ontario. In January 2017, Kate …

Our guests today are Justin Guest, Vice President of Engage Life, Atria Senior Living and Sarah D'Ercole Gaber, resident of Atria Roslyn Harbor. Atria Senior Living is a privately held, for-profit senior housing company based in Louisville, Kentucky. The company operates more than 200+ communities in 28 states and seven Canadian provinces. More inf…

Julianne Holt-Lunstad is Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at Brigham Young University. Her research is focused on the long-term health effects of social connection. Her work has been seminal in the recognition of social isolation and loneliness as risk factors for early mortality and has worked with government organizations aimed at address…

Our guest today is Laura Belazis, Senior Director, Strategy and Impact at Meals on Wheels America. Meals on Wheels America is the oldest and largest national organization supporting the more than 5,000 community-based senior nutrition programs across the country that are dedicated to addressing senior isolation and hunger. This network exists in vi…

Our guest today is Dan McEwen, Director of Market Development at Motitech Canada. After completing his PhD in Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Ottawa, Dan joined a multi-site research project focused on the use of Motiview, a motivational technology to increase physical activity for elders and individuals living with dementia. After see…

Our guest today is Anthony Cirillo, founder of SAGE network, president of the aging experience and a regular contributor to US News and World Report, Sixty and Me and other publications. Quoted in the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, USA Today and more, he is a veteran media expert who appears monthly on The Charlotte Today program talking about aging …

Robert Stebbins is Professor Emeritus in Sociology from University of Calgary. He coined the term "serious leisure" on which Seniors Junction has based its services. He has taught in the departments of sociology at Presbyterian College (1964-65), Memorial Univ. of Newfoundland (1965-73), the Univ. of Texas at Arlington (1973-76), and the Univ. of C…

Our guest today is Jake Rothstein. He is the founder and CEO of UpsideHom. UpsideHōM was founded on a simple premise; to enhance the quality of life for older adults everywhere. They are doing so by creating a new category of Senior Living using technology, and building the first and only fully managed living option for senior citizens in the natio…

Our special guest today is Karen Omand who is a grief counsellor and thanatologist. Thanatology is the study of death and the losses brought about as a result. Thanatologists do not try to fix or take away the pain that is associated with death or non-death losses but bear witness to the pain with true empathy, building a safe and trusting relation…

Dan G. Blazer II, M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D., is the J. P. Gibbons Professor of Psychiatry Emeritus and a professor of community and family medicine at Duke University as well as adjunct professor in the Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of North Carolina. He has been studying isolation since the '70s and he also chaired the …

Our guests today are Pat Spadafora, founder and former Director of the Sheridan College Centre for Elder Research and Lia Tsotsos, present Director at Sheridan Centre for Elder Research who share a multi-pronged research based solutions to tackle senior isolation. More about the centre - https://www.sheridancollege.ca/research/centres/elder-researc…

Our guest today is Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister for Seniors and Accessibility, MPP Daisy Wai. She represents the riding of Richmond Hill. She discusses with us in detail the various initiatives the provincial government has taken to address isolation in seniors. More info - https://www.ontario.ca/page/ministry-seniors-accessibilityGet th…

Our guests today are founding members of the Wisdom Exchange Project - Lauren Bechard and Danielle D'Amico who are doctoral candidates at Waterloo and Ryerson University respectively. The Wisdom Exchange Project was founded in 2020 to address social isolation and loneliness by creating a community committed to promoting brain health through mutuall…

Our guest today is Robert Mundle. He is a spiritual health practitioner. He provides education and training on listening and communication skills for health care professionals and volunteers based on original qualitative research. His work explores the spirituality of listening - in theory and stories - to enhance the quality of hospice & palliativ…

Dr. Fraser Code is Professor Emeritus in Department of Physics at University of Toronto. He lives an active retirement volunteering, writing, being active and following his curiosity. His personal website - https://frasercode.ca/Get the latest podcast updates by subscribing to our newsletter on https://seniorsjunction.com Credits: Hosts: Namrata Ba…

Our guest today is Daniel Marrello, co-founder of UpTOSpeed and TechServeTO. UpTOSpeed is a marketplace for universal education and technical support tailored for older adults and TechServeTO is an organization which provides free tech support to older-adults who have difficulty using online platforms. More info - https://www.uptospeedyou.com/ and …

Our guest today is Dr. Munira Sultana, MBBS, MPH, PhD. She is a postdoctoral fellow at Gait and Brain Lab, Parkwood Institute. Her research focuses on using immersive experiences such as virtual reality for patients with dementia and she shares how this can be applied to senior isolation. More info - https://www.linkedin.com/in/munirasultana/Get th…

Our guest today is Professor William (Bill) Randall from St. Thomas University, New Brunswick. With colleagues worldwide, he has been developing an approach to aging called "Narrative Gerontology"​, which proposes that, at bottom, we are storytelling creatures, and consciously or otherwise, are continually composing "the story of my life"​, a compl…

Our guest today is occupational therapist, Dean Henderson, Director of Client Experience, Education and Innovation at The Dementia Society of Ottawa and Renfrew County. Through the society, a Dementia Care Coach provides expert support to improve the quality of life of caregivers, families and people living with dementia. More info - https://dement…

In today's episode we interview Bill Dai, CEO and Nicole Shute, Seniors Client Success Specialist of CareStory. CareStory provides non-medical digital solution where each long term care resident’s profile has a quick fact page, personalized music, life stories, and video messages that can greatly facilitate caregivers’ daily jobs. More info - https…

Our guest today is Charlene Nadalin, Founder of Amintro, the Social Platform & Social Impact Enterprise for Adults 50plus. Amintro fosters friendships, shared experiences and knowledge as a means for reducing social isolation which she launched in summer 2018. Amintro is not a dating site. More info - https://amintro.com/Get the latest podcast upda…

In today's episode we interview two nonagenarians, residents of Silvera's Aspen community - Helen and Thelma. These two friends met a few years ago at Silvera’s Aspen community and during the pandemic they made a 74-page pictorial history book. Read more in a recent article in Alberta Prime Times, a monthly publication for 50+ Albertans: https://bi…

Sara Zeff Geber, PhD is thought leader, professional speaker and author on Solo Aging. Twenty percent of baby boomers don't have children, in addition to that the growing number of people aging alone for other reasons and we have a critical mass of SOLO AGERS! More info - https://sarazeffgeber.com/Get the latest podcast updates by subscribing to ou…

In today's episode we interview Miri Hadas Koller, Chief Executive Officer at Yee Hong Seniors Living. She has almost 30 years of experience in all aspects of real estate, including the marketing of single-family homes and condominium properties, the management of commercial properties, and now more than 10 years experience in the seniors housing s…

In today's episode we interview Emily Johnson, Founder of StrongerU Senior Fitness, Canada’s first pre-choreographed Senior Fitness series offering online education and certification in four program types. More info - https://www.strongeruseniorfitness.com/Get the latest podcast updates by subscribing to our newsletter on https://seniorsjunction.co…

In today's episode we interview Dr. Neel Chadha, President and Co-Founder at Lanark Lifestyles Retirement Residence. Dr. Neel Chadha is a dedicated family physician who specializes in senior care. He discovered his passion for senior care in medical school and has developed extensive knowledge of ailments affecting the senior population. More info …

In today's episode we interview Vlad Volodarski, CEO of Chartwell Retirement Residences. Vlad was appointed Chartwell’s Chief Executive Officer effective March 16, 2020, Vlad has held progressive roles within Chartwell since 2003, when he joined the company as Vice President Finance. In 2005, he was appointed Chief Financial Officer and in 2011 he …

In today's episode we interview Anthony Kupferschmidt, Executive Director at West End Seniors' Network Society. West End Seniors’ Network become an incorporated society in BC in October 1982, and has been a registered charity since July 1984. Currently, there are over 950 members of the Network, 15 paid staff members and more than 250 active volunt…

In today's episode we interview Lee St. James and her social robot Mindy. Social Robots helps families and seniors who are in assisted living/ retirement homes stay connected when they can’t visit in person as often as they would like. Mindy, their friendly robot (always accompanied by a Social Robot expert), will visit weekly or bi-weekly to share…